Wigan North Western complete blockade - 13-21 July

[MidnightFlyer]

Not seen this mentioned around. From http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/updates/route-improvements/

Route Improvement Works in the Wigan Area
There are route improvement works in the Wigan area for nine consecutive days from Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st July 2013 (inclusive). This major work will increase the speed at which trains can come out of junctions and in turn improve performance. Conducting the work over one period of time will save the equivalent of work taking place on nine bank holiday weekends. Information will be updated regularly, please check back closer to your date of travel.
There will be no direct services from London Euston/Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh and Glasgow Central.
If you are travelling through the Wigan area (South and Northbound), alternative transport and routes are available. Please check back for regular updates to the timetable and travel information.
Should you have any questions regarding your journey, please contact us:
Via our Contact us page
Twitter @virgintrains
Facebook.com/virgintrains

From OpenTrainTimes etc I believe the following to be true with regard to service changes for the duration:
- 1tph Birmingham-Preston via Stockport. Trains are non-stop anywhere between Crewe and Preston aside from Stockport southbound for Euston connections. Northbound Euston connections are ex-Crewe
- 1tph Preston-Glasgow Central
- Infrequent Carlisle-Edinburgh
- 1tph Warrington-Euston calling at Crewe only

I'm not certain what is happening to the infrequent TPE or Northern to Manchester via Hindley / Liverpool via Netwon-le-Willows trains, but I assume they'll be diverted to Wallgate and cancelled respectively.

Buses from Wigan NW on a typical off-peak are:
- 5bph to Preston
- 1bph to Warrington BQ
- 3bph to St Helens Central

Cheers

 

[Foxy1980]

I hadn't seen this personally however I have been saying for years they should do more of this and get it over and done with in one swoop rather than stop/start and taking a year to do something when it can all be done in a week. For me, some sensible working from the powers that be even though it will cause people some issues in the last week of schooling before summer holidays. Hopefully this gives people enough time to make alternative arrangements too

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is this also for Golborne Jn improvements linked to NW electrification?
On its own it would not close Wigan NW but maybe they are doing work at several locations.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I hadn't seen this personally however I have been saying for years they should do more of this and get it over and done with in one swoop rather than stop/start and taking a year to do something when it can all be done in a week. For me, some sensible working from the powers that be even though it will cause people some issues in the last week of schooling before summer holidays. Hopefully this gives people enough time to make alternative arrangements too

Will there not be 1tph Edin Carlisle with 1 toc or the other? Or can this not be resourced? Scottish school holidays then too, so unpopular but agree the way its being done is good.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Is this also for Golborne Jn improvements linked to NW electrification?
On its own it would not close Wigan NW but maybe they are doing work at several locations.

Well I hope so - that would be shear common sense

 

[WatcherZero]

Not electrification related, at least not directly. A LOT of junction renewals.

Renewals work by Network Rail at Golborne and Lowton Junctions (near Newton le Willows), Balshaw Lane Junction (near Euxton), Wigan Springs Branch Junction and Bamfurlong Junction (near Wigan) will result in a nine-day continuous blockade of the West Coast Main Line between Saturday 13 July and Sunday 21 July.

Northern Rail services between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western will run between Liverpool Lime Street and St Helens Central only, with replacement buses in place between St Helens Central and Wigan North Western/Preston.

 

[Darren R]

Had a quick look on RealTime Trains for Bolton on a random day during the blockade - it's gonna be very busy for the duration! A good deal of freight (don't think it get's much these days) and all the Birmingham - Preston Virgin services (which aren't stopping.) It's gonna be chocka with photographers I would think.

More seriously though, with all those extra services being carried on what is already the very busy corridor between Euxton Junction, Chorley, Bolton, Salford Crescent and Manchester Piccadilly, I can see that it won't take much to go wrong for utter chaos to ensue. Should be interesting!

Curiously though the Scotrail Sleepers would appear to be running via the ECML between Edinburgh and Euston via Camden Road. That's tough on prospective passengers from Carlisle and Preston!

 

[gnolife]

Curiously though the Scotrail Sleepers would appear to be running via the ECML between Edinburgh and Euston via Camden Road. That's tough on prospective passengers from Carlisle and Preston!

I thought Carlisle was just a 'supplies' stop. Speaking of supplies, is Newcastle going to replace Carlisle as the stop for breakfast stuff and newspapers, or are they just going to scrap that completely for the duration of the works

 

[Thomas6187]

The North Wales-Manchester are terminating at Oxford Rd due that week as VT have taken the xx46(from Piccadilly-Oxford Rd) path off TPE. TPE are running the Blackpool service 3 mins later taking the path from ATW.

 

[Eagle]

I thought Carlisle was just a 'supplies' stop. Speaking of supplies, is Newcastle going to replace Carlisle as the stop for breakfast stuff and newspapers, or are they just going to scrap that completely for the duration of the works

On the Lowland sleeper Carlisle is a bona fide passenger stop (that is, you can book a London to Carlisle or Watford to Carlisle journey on it). Same goes for Carstairs.

 

[Welshman]

The North Wales-Manchester are terminating at Oxford Rd due that week as VT have taken the xx46(from Piccadilly-Oxford Rd) path off TPE. TPE are running the Blackpool service 3 mins later taking the path from ATW.

That's interesting, then, for with a nifty turnaround, ATW can save a unit instead of it being parked in the Mayfield siding for 50 minutes every hour.

 

[edwin_m]

They'll probably have to. Can't see them being allowed to occupy a platform at Oxford Road for very long.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

They'll probably have to. Can't see them being allowed to occupy a platform at Oxford Road for very long.

I imagine they'll use the bay (5), but as you say, that's also needed for the all-shacks NT to Liverpool.

 

[Thomas6187]

Shouldn't be much of a problem. The stopper leaves at xx44 and the Llandudno arrives at xx48 before departing again at xx58.

 

[edwin_m]

Indeed so. That's why they'll have to save a unit!

 

[Bevan Price]

Will there not be 1tph Edin Carlisle with 1 toc or the other? Or can this not be resourced? Scottish school holidays then too, so unpopular but agree the way its being done is good.

1 tph Preston - Glasgoe (VT) plus the TPE services for most of the day seems a bit inadequate for the summer holiday period. There are also a handful of through trains between Birmingham - Scotland according to Realtime trains:

19:20 Birmingham - Glasgow (FSSuX)
18:52 Edinburgh - Crewe.

An 08:20 Birmingham - Edinburgh is also listed, but appears to be an error, as it is shown via Wigan....

I expect National Express coaches will get better loadings in this period - rail passenger loadings often decline when they find out that a rail replacement bus would be involved in their journey.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
To add to my previous post, Realtime trains site is also showing VT shuttles between Carlisle & Edinburgh, running approximately every 2 hours.

 

[WatcherZero]

NR has put out a press release now.

Work on the West Coast Main Line will be carried out this summer to increase the speed that trains can travel. Four major rail junctions will also be replaced and enhanced. The work will improve the reliability of the infrastructure and the punctuality of train services on Britain’s busiest mixed-use railway line.


The £18m improvement scheme will be completed over nine days from Saturday 13 July to Sunday 21 July when four life-expired junctions will be replaced and three miles of track re-laid.

During the project, over an 18 mile stretch of line near Wigan, trains will be unable to use the Warrington to Preston section of the route. Train operators will be making alternative arrangements to help passengers complete their journeys during the line closure.

Dyan Crowther, route managing director, said: “This scheme represents significant investment in the railway in this area to increase line speeds and make the railway more reliable and punctual for our customers.

“There is never a good time to carry out major work on such a busy route and after careful discussion with the train operators and industry partners, it became apparent that undertaking this vital investment in nine consecutive days in July would, overall, cause less disruption.

“Train services are quieter at this time and fewer people are expected to experience changes to their travel plans compared to the work being staggered over the next two years, impacting on dozens of weekends and Bank Holidays.”

Usually, Network Rail would have carried out work of this kind over a number of Bank Holiday weekends requiring train services to be replaced repeatedly by alternative transport. By carrying out the work in a nine-day continuous spell this summer, engineers expect to be able to complete the replacement of the four junctions around 16 months earlier and to avoid disrupting rail travel plans for many weekends and nine bank holidays over the next two years.


Notes to editors

The project by numbers:
- 3 miles of track to renew
- 4 main line junctions upgraded
- 18 miles of West Coast Main Line occupied by engineers
- 6,600 new railway sleepers to be laid
- 21,500 tonnes of ballast
- Materials delivered by 61 trains in 865 wagons

Network Rail is working with the train operators to arrange a replacement rail and road travel service and our joint aim is to enable passengers to travel by train as far as possible. The temporary line closure will affect passengers using services run by Virgin Trains, Northern and First TransPennine Express. The train operators are developing timetables for alternative services, which will be publicised and available through rail journey planning and train company websites.

Plans are being made for leaflets to be handed out at stations in advance of the work and a number of road shows will be held at stations to explain the project and to answer any questions.

When completed the work will allow train services to run at up to 75 mph over the four upgraded junctions – Golborne Junction, Bamfurlong, Wigan Springs Branch, Balshaw Lane Junction. The reliability of the rail infrastructure will have been improved and it will be easier to maintain.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...t-Main-Line-to-receive-major-improvement-work

edit: Checked the LNW route specification appendix 2012, published in November with revisions in January and this scheme is not mentioned as a CP4 or CP5 renewal or enhancement scheme!

 

[bluenoxid]

I am surprised that the opportunity to get the electrification project jumped forward is not being taken although I am struggling to place Golborne in my head.

 

[edwin_m]

All of these are electrified already - Golborne is where the curves from the L&M meet the WCML northwards. They probably want to get it over before the Manchester-Scotland trains start running via Wigan and passing over all four of these.

 

[Blindtraveler]

2 hourly carlisle Edin, not enough! Both 185s and voyagers can get rather rammed at current service levels. Its to be hoped they have thought of that and will use pendos, maybe with a stop at Carstairs for the 380 stopper to Motherwell and Glasgow? Nat X will indeed be busy, as will megabus anglo Scot runs.
XC will squeez in much of the East Scotland to West Mids flows, at a price naturally!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

NR has put out a press release now.
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...t-Main-Line-to-receive-major-improvement-work
edit: Checked the LNW route specification appendix 2012, published in November with revisions in January and this scheme is not mentioned as a CP4 or CP5 renewal or enhancement scheme!

Some of this is a bit baffling.

When completed the work will allow train services to run at up to 75 mph over the four upgraded junctions – Golborne Junction, Bamfurlong, Wigan Springs Branch, Balshaw Lane Junction. The reliability of the rail infrastructure will have been improved and it will be easier to maintain

WCML trains already run at 90-125mph Golborne Jn-Balshaw Lane Jn fast lines.
The slow line junctions at these 4 locations are currently 50mph and are probably those going up to 75mph.
The main beneficiary will be freight clearing the fast lines quicker (also the Liverpool-Blackpool stopper).
But the junctions towards Parkside and St Helens are very slow (15/30mph respectively) and surely won't be going up to 75?
Are they doubling Lowton/Golborne Jns?
Will TASS be installed (no tilt currently Acton Grange-Wigan)?

In reality it is work deferred out of WCRM.
Never believe NR when they say something is "finished".

 

[terryc]

Lowton Juction is doubled, and has been for years & years
The track at Golborne junction is single for about 50m from the actual junction of the WCML before resuming dual status. There was a lot of work going on there a few weeks back, with the section being closed for some time. I thought that perhaps doubling was on the agenda, but having travelled the section since, nothing appears to have changed regarding track layout.
Certainly a pinch point once more traffic starts to use the section.

 

[WatcherZero]

Local paper says its a combination of renewal and removing speed limits put in place over fears of mining subsidense.

 

[The Planner]

Balshaw is going up to 75, Golborne connections to the slows go to 50 and towards Lowton to 20, Bamfurlong is being rationalised and increased to 30 I think. Springs Branch is ripping out the fixed diamond and splittling the junction out, nothing else. No slow line increases at all.

 

[edwin_m]

Looking at this area I was thinking it's not a particularly effective layout. Putting a new curve in from the diveunder at Bamfurlong, redesignating the tracks south of there and remodelling Golborne would result in a continuous Up slow line on the east side all the way from Wigan to Golborne and onwards via Parkside. At present Up trains either have to take the Fast or cross the Down Main on the flat at Golborne.

 

[The Planner]

Not going to happen.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Looking at this area I was thinking it's not a particularly effective layout. Putting a new curve in from the diveunder at Bamfurlong, redesignating the tracks south of there and remodelling Golborne would result in a continuous Up slow line on the east side all the way from Wigan to Golborne and onwards via Parkside. At present Up trains either have to take the Fast or cross the Down Main on the flat at Golborne.

I expect an expensive consultant is even now modelling the new HS2/WCML junction layout in the very same area - you'll just have to wait 15-odd years...

 

[L+Y]

Just bumping up this thread with a rather surprising annoucement. When I was at Rufford station today, I noticed a signpost stating that the Liverpool-Blackpool trains for this week of engineering are to be diverted to Ormskirk station, there to meet Merseyrail trains!

For one week only, then, the Ormskirk branch will enjoy an hourly all-stations service, which is probably better than it has enjoyed at any other point in its career: certainly even in 1969, before the line was severed, it only saw six or seven stopping trains each way per day. Surprisingly enough, these Blackpool-Ormskirk trains won't be crossing at Rufford, implying some pretty tight turnarounds: they'll be on and off the branch within an hour. I suspect that may be optimistic, but we shall see!

Might be worth someone with a camera going down to take a look, anyway.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Two minute turnaround times at Ormskirk I believe. Still no Sunday service for the week mind!

 

[pitdiver]

2 hourly carlisle Edin, not enough! Both 185s and voyagers can get rather rammed at current service levels. Its to be hoped they have thought of that and will use pendos, maybe with a stop at Carstairs for the 380 stopper to Motherwell and Glasgow? Nat X will indeed be busy, as will megabus anglo Scot runs.
XC will squeez in much of the East Scotland to West Mids flows, at a price naturally!

As an ex NX Coach employee I am wondering will they have any spare capacity to take up the additional passengers or will their services be full or booked out by Megabus